SJ0056 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0056 LRB096 12143 ASK 24390 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Dogs are not a commercial crop and should not be indiscriminately or irresponsibly mass produced; and

WHEREAS, Illinois citizens have the right to purchase quality purebred dogs, produced in loving homes by responsible breeders; and

WHEREAS, Poorly or improperly run breeding facilities increase the likelihood that the dogs contained therein will be denied their most basic needs, including, but not limited to, sanitary living conditions, proper and timely medical care, the ability to move freely at least once per day, and adequate shelter from the elements; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is committed to preventing dogs from being housed in breeding facilities or pet stores that are overcrowded, unsanitary, and lacking proper shelter and care; and

WHEREAS, Current Illinois laws are insufficient regarding the care and husbandry of dogs in breeding facilities; and

WHEREAS, Without proper oversight, breeding facilities can easily fall below even the most basic standards of humane housing and husbandry; and

WHEREAS, Breeding facilities with unsanitary conditions create the potential for soil and groundwater contamination, the spread of zoonotic parasites and infectious diseases, and the sale of sick and dying animals to the public; and

WHEREAS, An unfair fiscal burden is placed on city, county, and state taxpayers, as well as government agencies, animal shelters, and rescue groups, by having to care for discarded or abused and neglected dogs from these breeding facilities; and

WHEREAS, Animal shelters and rescue groups are dedicated to caring for and finding homes for stray and unwanted animals and irresponsible breeders and pet stores are adding to the burden placed on these non-profit rescue groups; and

WHEREAS, Consumers must be provided with adequate information about the background of puppies prior to purchase in order to make an informed decision and current Illinois law is ineffective in providing this information to consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores and breeding facilities; and

WHEREAS, There is public support for addressing the breeding industry and pet store industry in this State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is established a Joint Task Force on Breeders and Pet Stores to investigate and make recommendations on ways to strengthen Illinois law regarding these 2 industries; issues that shall be examined include, but are not limited to the following: (1) humane care and treatment for dogs at pet stores and breeding facilities, (2) creating more specific requirements for indoor and outdoor kennel facilities to ensure the health and welfare of dogs used for commercial purposes, (3) establishing more detailed specifications so that indoor and outdoor facilities provide dogs with proper shelter, temperature control, ventilation, air movement, lighting, bedding, sanitation, slope of ground and run, and flooring materials, (4) creating more detailed record keeping requirements for breeders and pet stores, (5) ensuring that consumers are provided adequate information prior to the time of sale of dogs, (6) ensuring that dogs being sold are healthy, and (7) amending animal welfare laws to address these specific issues as well as related yet broader issues that could be addressed through such laws; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members of the Joint Task Force shall include: one member appointed by the President of the Senate; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one member appointed by the Speaker of the House; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee, who shall serve as the Chairperson; the Director of Agriculture shall appoint 5 members to represent the animal welfare community, including 2 members from national organizations and 3 members representing the shelter community and animal rescue community; the Director of Agriculture shall also appoint one member representing the small scale breeding community, one member representing the sporting dog community, one member representing the large scale breeding community, one member representing the pet store industry, and one member representing the Illinois Veterinarians; and be it further

RESOLVED, That that the Department of Agriculture shall provide administrative and other support to the Joint Task Force and meet at the call of the chairperson; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee shall serve as the Chairperson; the Joint Task Force shall have a minimum of 3 meetings; and the members shall serve without compensation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Joint Task Force shall report its findings and legislative recommendations to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House by October 1, 2009; and that upon filing its report the Joint Task Force is dissolved; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of the Department of Agriculture.